Device for measuring fluids.



UNITED STATES Patented October 20, 1903. i

PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED WILLIAM soUTIIEY, or LONDONENGLAND.

DEvloE FORWMEASURING FLUlosf.

fSPECiI1IC.!U1IO1\1' forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,732, datedOctober 2Q, 1903.

Application filed February `17, 1903. Serial No. 143.820. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.- y f .Be it known that I, ALFREDv WILLIAMSOUTHEY, engineer, of No. 16 Elm street, Grays Inn road, London,England, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Decut-off whenthe desired quantity has been4 delivered and being adapted to enableVthe volume of delivery to be modified at will. It is further adapted toenable the defined quantity to be drawn off in instalments.

The principle of operation may be thus stated: A chamber is provided ofcomparatively small capacity tted'with a moving diaphragm, which isadapted to vary the capacity of the chamber from a definite minilmum toa definite maximum. This chamber is in communication with a reservoir ofHuid through a channel which is commanded by a turn-cockor valve,whichis adapted to throttle the passage to a degree which can be accuratelyadjusted. On the reservoir side of this channel of communication a valveis fitted, through which whent'pened the fluid can escape to aglischargirgr mouthpiece. 0n the mouthpiece side of this escape valvevthere is a freeA passage leading to the space on the side of the movingdiaphragm away from the before-mentioned chamber. `The parts areso'adapted that when the chamber is full to its maximum the diaphragmpresses on the escape-valve and closes it by virtue of its larger area..

To put the measuring device into operation, the throttle-valve issuitably adjusted, a free passage being left when a small delivery ,isrequired and a constricted passage when the quantity wanted is large.The volume of the chamber is then reduced to a minimum by some'externalagency. The effeet is to relieve Athe closing' force ,on the valve,which forthwith opens under the action of the fluid-pressure, and thefluid simultaneously commences to flow from the same passiage'intothechamber and into the channel `leading to the discharge-orifice, theopposing pressure on the diaphragm being the same as that on the eXitside of the esjvary, and by altering the degree of throttling the volumedelivered in any one operation may be adjusted to be any multiple of lthe volume of the chamber or even any fraction of that volume. For' thisreason the chamber will henceforth be referred to as the ratio-chamber.

If only a portion of the quantity which the apparatus is set todeliveris wanted at one time, the closing ofy the stop-cock in thedelivery-pipe will suspend the iiow of the fluid both'to theratio-chamber and to the discharging mouthpiece. The pressure on thediaphragm will in the interim remain balanced,

causing it to stop, and its movement will' be resumed on reopening thestop-cock. Thus the complete volume can be withdrawn in instalments.

On the accompanying drawings is 'shown a method of construction wherebythe operation just described may be practically achieved.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front View oi' the apparatus. Fig. 2 is asection along 2,2 of Fig. 1, and Fig.v 3v is a section along 3 3 of Fig.2.

`Inthe views, ais the ratio-chamber, which is shown. fitted with twomoving diaphragms b ande-of which the one, b, is that to whichpreviousreference has been made. The pur pose of the other will bepresently explained. The diaphragm consists of an elastic membrane d,the edges of which are secured between the iange-surfaces e and f of thetwo portions of the chamber a. The central portion of the diaphragm isinclosed between the plates g and h, which by 'means of a screw and itsnut are 'pinched together. The shank lo of this screw is guided in acentral orifice in a plate fm, the perforations of which place theright-hand side of the diaphragm b in com- IOO munication with the spacen. In the extreme position of the diaphragm, as shown, the shank 7abutts against a valve 0 and forces it` against its seat p. When thediaphragm b is Withdrawn from the position shown, the valve o Will opento an extent limited by its abutment'against the boss of the plate m.The valve is supported by feather-guides q, Which fit within a pipe r,connected with a reservoir of fluid.

s is a discharge-pipe leading from the space n outside the valve o tothe mouthpiece t, a stop-cock u being interposed.

The end of the pipe r opens into an enlargement o, from which when thevalve o and stop-cock u are open fluid can escape. This enlargement alsocommunicates by a pipe w with a valve-chest x, containing a turn-cock yand a one-Way valve a'. By turning the plug of the turn-cock y into asuitable position the Width of the passage from the valvechest wto theratio-chamber a can be constricted to any required degree, the amount ofwhich is indicated by a pointer l on a graduated disk. The valve e' Willpermit the free escape of fluid from the ratio-chamber, but precludesthe passage of fluid in the opposite direction.

The left-hand diaphragm c is fitted like b, and the shank 2 of its screwprojects through and is guided in the central orifice of the cover 3 ofthe ratio-chamber. On the shank is threaded the helical spring 4 and theWasher 5, a pin 6 penetrating the shank and securing them in place. Thespring will thus cause the diaphragm to be urged to the eX- tremeleft-hand position.

V Mounted in a bracket 7 on the cover is a spindle 8, on which ismounted a cam 9 and to Which is secured the handle-10 and clutchpiecel1. If the handle as viewed in Fig. 2 is turned clockwise, the clutcheffects the rotation of the cam, and this is so shaped as to force theshank 2 and the diaphragm c to the right and squeeze out of theratio-chamber the fluid which it contains. This will flow to asmalleXtent through the constricted passage in the turn-cock fg, butchiey by lifting the valve .e will be returned to the supply-pipe rbyWay of its enlargement o. After a complete rotation of the handle andcam a radial portion Will come opposite the shank 2, and the pressure onit Will be suddenly released, permitting the spring 4 to eect theimmediate return movement of the diaphragm c. There will be animmediaterelief of pressure in the ratio-chamber, and the diaphragm Z9 willfollow the diaphragm c and permit the valve o to open. Supposing thestop-cock u is at this time open, the fluid will pour out of t, passingthrough the valve o first into the space n, this being in communicationwith the back surface of the diaphragm b. The same uidpressure Willoppose its return movement as will oppose the escape of the fluidthrough the open valve o. In consequence of the larger pressure in ethan in fn the ratio-chamber will gradually fill through the constrictedpassage in the turn-cock y. Starting at the same time fluid will flowthrough the valve o into the open, and the quantity Which will be ableto escape during the filling of the chamber may be caused to be anymultiple of the volume of the ratio-chamber, the magnitude of which willdepend on the setting of the turn-cock gj. When the ratio-chamber hasbeen completely filled, the valve o Will be again forced onto its seatand the discharge will cease.

If the handle lO is turned anticlockwise, the clutch 1l presses the cam9 sidewise against the force of a helical spring l2, and the cam is notrotated. The object of the cam and spring device is to discharge thecontents of the ratio-chamber to a defined amount and then open thevalve o and start the refilling of the chamber simultaneously andabruptly.

If when the fluid is escaping through the mouthpiece t thel stop-cock isclosed, the pressure in the pipe s and space n will immediately rise toequal that in the enlargement u and ratio-chamber a, whereupon themovement of the diaphragm b Will be suspended, the movement beingresumed on the reopening of the stop-cock it. Thus the defined quantitycan be drawn off in instalments as required. To insure additionalaccuracy when the multiple adopted is a very large one, all movement ofthe diaphragm due to a possible extraneous cause may be precluded by thesimultaneous closing of a stop-cock in the pipe w. p When the quantityt0 be delivered is small, it may be adjusted in an alternative Way bymodifying the quantity of fluid which is eX- pressed out of theratio-chamber antecedent to the release of the diaphragm c.

I claim- 1. A device for measuring fluids comprising a chamber, amovable diaphragm therein, a source of supply, a passage connecting thesource of supply with the chamber, means for constricting the passage, adischargemouth, a passage from the source to the discharge-mouth and anau tomatically-operated valve for controlling the saidpassage,substantially as described.

2. A device for measuring fluids comprising a chamber, a movablediaphragm therein, a source of supply, a passage connecting the sourceof supply with the chamber, means for constricting the passage, adischargemouth, a passage from the source of supply to thedischarge-mouth, a valve controlling the said passage, said valve beingoperated by the movement of the said diaphragm, and means for moving thediaphragm, substantially as described.

3. A device for measuring fluids compris ing a chamber, a movablediaphragm therein, a source of supply, a passage connecting the sourceof supply with the chamber, means for constricting the passagecomprising a turn- IOO IIO

cock therein, a one-Way valve, a dischargemouth, a passage from thesource of supply to the discharge-mouth, a valve controlling the saidpassage, the said valve being operated by the movement of the diaphragm,and

means for moving the diaphragm, substantially as described.

4. A device for measuring fluids comprising a chamber, a movablediaphragm therein, a source of supply, a second chamber adapted toreceive the Iiuid from the source, a passage leading from the saidsecond chamber to the iirst-mentioned chamber, means for constrictingthe passage, a dischargemouth, a passage leading from the second chamberto the discharge-mouth, a valve controlling the said passage, said Valvebeing operated by the movement of the diaphragm,and means for moving thediaphragm, substantially as described.

5. A device for measuring uids comprising a chamber, a movable diaphragmtherein, a source of supply, a second chamber adapted to receive ltheiiuid from the source of supply, apassage leading from the said secondVchamber to the first-mentioned chamber, means for constricting thepassage, consisting of a turn-cock, a valve-chest at the end of saidpassage, a one-way valve therein adapted to close communication betweenthe valve-chest and said/rst-mentioned chamm QQ) ber, a chamber betweenthe rear face of the diaphragm and the second chamber,an opening betweenthe said chambers, a valve controlling said opening, said valve beingoperated by the movement of the diaphragm, a discharge-mouth leadingfrom the third chamber and a cock therein for controlling the same, andmeans for moving the diaphragm, substantially/'as described.

6. A device for measuring fluids comprising a chamber, a movablediaphragm therein, means for supplying uid to said chamber comprising asource of supply, a passageV connecting the source of supply with thechamber, means for constricting the said passage and a one-Way valve inthe passage, a dis-v ALFRED WILLIAM soUTHEY.

Witnesses:

T. A. HEARsoN, WALTER J. SKERTEN.

